The Ogun state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Olamilekan Adegbite says there is no price hike on the on-going road projects that were awarded by the government in 2013 despite the astronomical increase of construction materials.
Just as he assured that government would adequately compensate those whose houses were demolished to give right of way for the construction of a 5.5 Kilometre six lane road in Enugada-Adatan, 2KLM road Mokola-Itoko and others.
The Commissioner in a statement by the Press- Officer in the ministry, Mr. Ayokunle Ewuoso who was quoted to have said these while featuring on a local television programme disclosed that the demolished buildings were marked in 2013 and owners well notify before demolition
According to Adegbite it took the intervention of Mr. Governor who was able to convince the contractors on why there can be no price variation on the road projects adding that the global economic recession slowed down the pace of work on these projects because the Governor was of the opinion that payment of civil servants salaries and other emoluments should take priority over road projects.
“The record is there for everybody to see. The governor as an accountant and a financial engineer was able to bring his experience to bear as he was able to convince these contractors why price variation on all of these projects was not possible without compromising the standard. Government for now have not revisited the prices” he said.
On compensation for those whose buildings gave right of way, the commissioner pointed out that the consultant hired by the government had gone round to see the buildings and had advised government how much should be pay as compensation to owners, adding that compensation are in two folds.
The first fold according to him is the compensation which would be paid to owners of the buildings and the second one would be for those who have buried dead bodies in their compounds which they have to exhume and rebury to another location and the last which he described,’Merciful Grants’ meant for those who do not have money to pack their belongings to a new place.
He noted that government have mobilised all the contractors back to sites assuring that those who were yet to go back due to some factors would by the end of April be back.
By Ijeoma Nwachukwu